Seahawks: 12 questions before Training Camp
It’s been a slow week here at cover32 Seahawks. Staff is currently on vacation in scenic Missoula, Montana and trying to stay offline as much as possible.
Tomorrow summer vacation will come to an end both for our blog and the team. Seattle opens training camp at the VMAC in Renton Saturday morning and a new year of Seahawks football will officially be upon us.
On this eve of training camp, here’s 12 pressing questions about their season.
12 Seahawks questions heading into 2016
1. How injured is Jimmy Graham?
The number one injury concern for Seattle heading into camp is that of their top acquisition of 2015, tight end Jimmy Graham. GM John Schneider confirmed earlier this week that both Graham and Thomas Rawls will not be available at the outset of camp.
As of yet the team has not decided if they will place either on the PUP list. Our best guess is that Graham is more likely to land on it, given the severity of his injury. How long Graham is out and what kind of rhythm he will be in when he returns will have an enormous impact on Seattle’s 2016 campaign.
We will be keeping close eyes on Graham’s status throughout training camp and the preseason, so stay tuned.
2. Is the Seahawks defensive line really this good?
Defensive line depth was one of the things that won Seattle Super Bowl 48. Attrition has sapped the unit the last couple years but now in 2016 we’re supposed to see a return to dominance from this group.
On the surface that sounds fine. A deeper look says that things may not be so rosy.
Michael Bennett is highly unsatisfied with his contract, Chris Clemons just retired and Seattle will be relying heavily on two rookie defensive tackles. It’s a talented unit but don’t get too excited about anything you see (or read) in summer. This new-look defensive line will have to prove itself first.
3. Can Pete Carroll be the NFL’s best head coach?
The Seahawks just gave Carroll an extension that will keep him in town through the end of the 2019 season.
After six years, sixty wins, two Super Bowl trips and four years running the NFL’s best scoring defense, it’s time to ask if Carroll is the best head coach in the game. Seattle certainly seems to think so.
Carroll’s new deal is worth $8 million annually, which ranks him just ahead of Bill Belichick as the league’s top earner. That kind of investment shows the faith that Schneider and Paul Allen have in Carroll but it also comes with heavy expectations.
4. Which rookie will step up this year?
Every year Carroll seems to have a pet project: a rookie player that he takes a shine to and talks up throughout the off-season. This year it’s Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise, who fits the definition of a “Pete Carroll guy.”
Like last year’s favorite Tyler Lockett, Prosise is a weapon that can be deployed in a multitude of ways. He can run every route on the tree, he has 4.48 speed and he’s powerful enough to earn some comparisons to Beast Mode.
If Prosise lives up to Carroll’s praise, he may become a huge component in Seattle’s offense. This season.
5. Are Seattle’s wide receivers among the league’s best?
Back in the day people called Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and company overrated. Now more and more people are recognizing how deep and effecient Seattle’s receiver corps really is.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked them sixth in the NFL, even head of Pittsburgh’s superstar contingent that includes Antonio Brown.
Lockett appears to have no ceiling, Baldwin is playing like Jerry Rice and Kearse is coming off a career year. Re-joining the group this year is Paul Richardson, who spent last year on the sidelines but has many of the same qualities as Lockett.
If Richardson gets integrated into the passing offense and the other wideouts keep going at their current pace, by this time next year we may be calling this the best receiver corps in football.
6. Is Jeremy Lane worth his new contract?
In March Seattle signed nickelback Jeremy Lane to a four-year, $23 million deal with $11 million guaranteed. Those numbers are exorbitant for a nickelback, so expect to see more of Lane playing outside opposite Richard Sherman.
The plan is to switch Lane and DeShawn Shead between those roles again in 2016. However, given the investment they just made Lane is more likely to see significant playing time.
Lane has always had the look of a true starter and shutdown corner. Now he has a chance to prove it. If he lives up to his potential, his new contract will prove to be a steal. If he busts, it may quickly become one of the worst DB contracts in the league.
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7. How much will Marshawn Lynch be missed?
What makes this team unique is how much they feed off of emotion. Sometimes it comes out in their furious rallies after falling behind early in games. Sometimes it’s embodied in a particular player.
More than any other Seahawks player in recent memory, Marshawn Lynch personified what this team is all about. Grit. Determination. Joy. Selflessness. Assertiveness. All of these qualities were wrapped up into one package.
Now that Lynch has called it a career, Seattle will have to rely more on other emotional locker room leaders. Somebody else will have to step up and fill the passion void or this simply won’t be the same team.
8. Will Thomas Rawls repeat his 2015 performance?
Lynch’s absence can be softened quite a bit depending on how well Thomas Rawls plays. Last season Rawls came out of nowhere and led the NFL in yards per carry as a rookie.
Unfortunately, his 2015 campaign was ended prematurely thanks to an ankle injury.
Seattle has since added a number of new young backs but Rawls remains the favorite to start and see the most snaps. If a repeat performance is in the cards, the rushing attack will remain one of the team’s greatest strengths.
9. Is this the year Russell Wilson surpasses Aaron Rodgers?
By now you already know that Wilson is a great quarterback. Last season he led the NFL in passer rating and was playing better than anyone at the position when the season ended.
If Wilson can build on what he did in 2015 he may soon challenge Aaron Rodgers for the right to be called the NFL’s top quarterback.
All Wilson needs to become the best passer on the planet is a little more support.
10. Who will replace Bruce Irvin?
Seattle has dominated defense in the NFL four years now, but they’ll be losing a couple of key starters. Nose tackle Brandon Mebane has moved on to San Diego and strong-side linebacker Bruce Irvin joined Super Bowl 48 MVP Malcolm Smith in Oakland.
We already know that Frank Clark will be getting Irvin’s old snaps in as an edge rusher in nickel packages but who will step up and play SAM in the 4-3 remains a major question.
Cassius Marsh and Eric Pinkins are two of a handful of players in the mix. Whoever steps up into that spot will carry a big responsibility and this is unquestionably the most important position battle to watch on that side of the ball.
11. Can Tharold Simon live up to the hype?
In the past Richard Sherman has talked up Tharold Simon as the most talented corner on the roster. We’ve also heard a lot of praise from Pete Carroll and other players on the roster. As of yet, Simon has not lived up to the hype.
Depth behind Sherman has been a problem for Seattle all along, but they’ve been able to make up for it by scheme and stellar play at safety. One injury could throw it all out of whack, though. More depth can help prevent that.
A big year from Simon would give Carroll a lot more flexibility at DB. The question is if he’s up to the challenge.
12. Can the Seahawks offensive line surprise us?
And finally, we come to the elephant in the room.
Seattle’s season may come crashing down if their offensive line falls apart the way some people are expecting.
At the moment PFF has the Seahawks front five ranked 32nd in the NFL, and it’s not hard to see why. All five projected starters are playing new positions. All five Super Bowl 48 starters are gone, which means leadership and continuity will be issues. There’s plenty of size up front, but it takes a lot more than that to function as a quality offensive line.
Garry Gilliam faces the toughest test on the blind side but all five starters will need to defy expectations for a successful season.
On paper everyone seems to be betting that they’ll fail.
Fortunately, football is not played on paper. If this unit can confound their critics there will be no stopping these Seahawks.
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